As long as I can remember, I always had a strong need to express myself creatively. Drawing, painting, writing, design, and crafts have been among my many creative outlets over the years. Since 1995, my primary artistic focus has been painting.
My paintings are acrylic on canvas, and many have touches of gold metal leaf and textures. Recuring motifs are elements taken from nature, like leaves, seeds, insects and animals, woven together in an unending variety of patterns, and often juxtaposed with the human face and form. Lately, I added a three-dimensional aspect to my work by creating a series of papier-mâché figurine sculptures.
Artistically, I’m fond of everything that flies: dragonflies, birds, or seed pods from a maple tree. They give movement to the picture.
Composition and form are important to me, not necessarily the symbolic meaning of each element. I leave it to the viewer to decide what it means to them.
I paint the images that pop up in my head. It doesn’t take much to get me inspired, and I always have more ideas for paintings than I have time to paint!
My paintings have been sold to buyers in 15 countries, and I have a large commission-work that hangs in a culture center outside of Barcelona.
At the time being, I’m working towards exhibitions, and have just finished illustrations for a children’s book by an author in New Zealand.
In 2021 I moved from Oslo to Skien, a quaint town located in the Telemark region of Norway, and bought a 170-year-old house with my husband, Kevin Knaak, in the historic Snipetorp section of town. And it is here that we live and work. This lovely old house affords me a nice atelier space, and Kevin photographs my work and creates all the prints that I sell online and in my gallery. It’s wonderful to have complete control of the process, from paint to print, under one roof.
In February 2022 I opened Galleri Moseng at the historic Øvre Verket, Ulefoss Ironworks settlement. Here, I display and sell my paintings, drawings, figurines, prints, and other items with my motifs. From time to time, I offer painting and papier-mâché courses.
And in 2024 my work will also be displayed and on offer at two more locations in Norway: Telemark Museum Museumsbutikken in Skien and Galleri Kunstverftet in Stavern.
